Covering



June 28, 1932. G. H. wHEA'rLl-:Y

COVERING Filed July 2o, 19:51

FIGA.

fw? M wam@ Patented' June 28, 41932 UNITED" STATES PATENT .ori-fior.

.tpplioatien filed Jnly 30Jl9%1. Serial No. 551,954.

This invention relates to coverin and with regard to certain morespecific eatures to carpeting formedirom a felted fabric and rubber. l

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision oia coveringcomprisinga tenacionsly joined elted Jfabric and rubber base;the provision of a covering of the class described which will not fraywhen cut,

or When worn in particular spots; the provi sion oi a covering of theclass described which is shock :absorbing and a relatively eihcient heatinsulator, and which has a certain resilient'quality whereby it isadapted to lay snugly over limited unevenness oi floors; the provisionoi a covering of the class described which is readily adapted for use onthe doors of'niotor cars; the provision of a covering of the classdescribed in which the ielted inatege rial is treated vvithrnbber andvulcanized, and vvhich may be suitably reinforced and/or p formed to @vethe appearance of vvoven 'tabv ric; and the provision of the method ofmanuiacturing covering of the class described ne which gives a strongrelatively cheap and attractive covering. ther objects will be in partobvious and in part pointed out hereinaiter. l

The invention accordingly comprises the et elements and combinationofelernents, :features of construction and synthesis, and arrangementsof parts, which will be exempli- :iied in the structures hereinafterdescribed,

and the scope ot the application o whichV et will be indicated in thefollowing claim.

ln the accompanying drawing, in which are illustrated one or more ofvarious possible embodiments ci the invention,

Fi 1 is a trimetric view of a fragment of #1@ the nished covering, inthis instance carpeting, showing the application of a molding screenthereto;

Fig. 2 is an exploded sectional viewillustrating the raw materials ofthe invention v @il prior to treatment thereof;

. illustrating an alternative embodiment of the finished covering.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts thronghout.the several 'Views of the drawing.

' lin my copending application, Serial Number 527,435, led April 3,i931, for door covering, l disclose a carpeting formed of a Woven fabric`Wearing surface and a Vshoclze@ absorbing sponge rubber hacln'ngtherefor. While the carpeting therein disclosed is possessedo'f greatutility, the necessity for b1nding the edges thereof to prevent ravelingor fraying oi the fabric renders it uneconomical e5 for use in smallpieces, as tor automobile floors. The present invention overcomes thisdiculty and presents a covering -which reqnires no edge bindingwhatsoever.

Referring to Fig. l there is shovvn at nu- 7o rneral 1 a piece oicovering, in this instance carpeting, made according to the presentinvention which is especially adapted for use on the doors ciautomobiles and the like. Prior carpeting ont the class used for theoor's ot motor cars has been made from a, Woven fabric. When subjectedto Wear in l certain limited regions, the carpet Wore through in thoseregions, and became ragged we,

and frayed and presented an unsightly appearance betere the remainder ofthe carpet showed any appreciable vvear. Furthermore, such acarpetrequired a binding around the edges to prevent the cut fabric 'fromravellin 35 or fraying.. A still further disadvantage o the plain:fabric carpeting is that it is neither Waterproof, sound, nor vibrationabsorbing' nor heat insulating, and accordingly the degreve of utilitycomfort which the deep carpet '90 i that a well furnished home affordswas not available.

I have overcome the diiliculties associated with the aforementionedcarpet and have provided a new and improved type of covering which isresilient, heat insulating and vibration absorbing and which has a topsurface which will not unravel or become ragged, and which may be cut toany size desired Without necessity of binding the edges of the cutportions.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral 1 asection of covering which comprises a sponge rubber layer 3 to the topof which is tenaciously, permanently joined a treated felted fabric 5.

The felt 5 before treated may comprise Wool, wool and cotton, jute orother fibrous material felted together to form a finished but untreatedfelted mat 13 (see Fig. 2) In this condition the mat 13 has a largenumber of fibers 15 extending therefrom and the number of relativelylarge interstices therein is lar e.

The fa ric 13 is first soaked with a rubber solution which may comprisefor example, a rubber cement, a solution of rubber latex or a watersolution or suspension of rubber. After the felted material 13 has beenso treated as to be impregnated throughout with the rubber solution, itis allowed to dry thoroughli and the dried and matted felted fabric is sown on to of the raw rubber composition in Fig. 3. his drying allows thesolvent of the solution to evaporate and leaves the rubber around thefiber and lling the interstices. This drying also causes further mattingof the fibers which matting provides a heavil matted, tough and wearresisting surface. e felt in this condition is quite sticky. The ongepreformed rubber' base 3 is formed om a rubber composition 11 (Fig. 2)which usually comprises a thoroughly intermixed mass of latex and/orpartial rubber or the like, and such chemicals as, under the influenceof heat, react to produce an aerating as.y Upon heating and vulcanizing,the ru ber composition, as shown at numeral 11 e ands and assumes thefinished shock-absor ing base or under-side material shown at numeral 3,Figs. 1 and 4.

|Ihe treated dried fabric 13 and rubber composition 11 are assembled asshown in Fig. 3

and the composite material is now subjected to a. heatin or vulcanizingoperation, as dcscribed in etail in my United States patent application,Serial No. 527,435, filed April 3, 1931, or otherwise. Durin thisheating or vulcanizing operation the c emical or chemicals in thecomposition 11 are caused to react or generate ases which aerate orinate the composition ayer 11, thereby producing the sponged orvulcanized rubber layer 3.

The rubber in the rubber treated mat 13 assumes the characteristicsshown in y cured numeral 5 il! that it loses its stickiness which it hadafter being treated with the rubber y solution and prior to the heattreating.

-top of the carpeting 5 during the heating or vulcanization, and theeffect is to produce a permanent design such as is shown at numeral 7which design gives a woven effect to the cover. This is accomplishedbecause the rubber in the felt is also vulcanized at a temperaturecorresponding to an optimum plastic state of the rubber and holds itsvulcanized form when cooled. n

Plate molds or screens having any suitable design may likewise be usedto impress the felted material 5 during the vulcanizing 0peration. Themold may also be provided with cutting edges, whereby the coverin isbrought to exact size, during the vulcanizing operation with maximumsimplicity.

In instances where a covering having a relof an occu ant of the car inwhich the carpet is installe The rubber and felt, being heat insulating,provide a cooler surface in the summer and a warmer surface in thewinter. Inasmuch as the carpet has no woven fabric if as under theclutch pedal of a car, the heel of the operator wears the material 5through to the rubber, the material 5 around the hole will not fray orbecome ragged inasmuch as it is of a felted construction. Further forthis reason no edge binding is necessary.

Further, the fact that the felt 5 is fastened to such a resilient basehelps the wearing ualities of the felting inasmuch as the resiliency ofthe base tends to take a great deal of the shock and thus the felt 5gives with the base. Because the base is rubber it is adapted to lie onthe floor without slipping.

A further advantage of the invention is that the roduct which is thusobtained is relatively inexpensive to produce because this type ofcoverin may be made in a continuous strip; by t e vulcanizing machinedescribed in my aforementioned patent application.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved .and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructionswithout de- In' testimony, I have si ed m name to this specificationthis 16th da of u1 1931.

EATIZY.

GEORGE H.

ayer of rubber,- saidV

